It’s safe to say thatThe Lord of the Rings:The Rings of Power, the mega-budget epic fantasy series from Amazon based on the appendixes to Tolkien’s books, far surpassed anything audiences might have been expecting. It’s the type of thing evenGame of Thronesstruggled with over the course of its run, the scope and scale needed to bring such huge worlds to life.
Amazon Studios dropped a press releaseall about the upcoming season ofThe Rings of Powerincluding that some of the directors of Netflix’s very grayThe Witcherhave meandered over to Middle-earth’s literally greener pastures. The second season is currently in production and gearing up to get moreLord of the Rings-y goodness into the eyeballs of hungry Tolkienites around the world.
Related:The Witcher on Netflix is Recasting Henry Cavill’s Geralt for Season 4
The Rings of Powerwas a series, that according to Amazon’s internal numbers, saw somewhere in the realm of 100 million eyeballs on it globally which puts it in the realm of a modern mega-success (but sadly, is close to what most sitcoms in the 1970s and ‘80s did weekly). It’s got huge recognition, and fans are eager for the continuing adventures of Galadriel, Elrond, Durin, Celebrimbor and Sauron, especially after last season’s one-two-punch ending of Mordor becoming habitable for the orcs during the daytime and the rings of the elves being mintedwith a secret Sauron aiding in their creation. Such success means it’s, Sméagol-like, also attracted directors—Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Louise Hooper—from Netflix’sThe Witcheras well as Amazon’s ownWheel of Time.
Part of this can be attributed to the idea that directors who have cut their teeth on one fantasy franchise (such as Brändström and Hooper’sThe Witchertenure) make good visual stylists for another fantasy franchise, but there’s also a hint,with Netflix’sThe Witcherbeing in flux and recent reports that Henry Cavill is going to be to be replacedwith the Liam “The Hunger Games” Hemsworth as the new Geralt, that maybe some of the others involved with that series are getting out while the getting is good. It’s also indicative that Amazon’s environment around their new Middle-earth baby is mightily attractive to creatives who are seeing the huge potential in the sophomore series.
The series, which has broken all other Prime viewership records and has done more to drive new Prime signups than any other show Amazon has had a hand in is looking to dive deeper into the realms of Middle-earth touched upon in the first season as things gradually move along in the Second Age. The story will continue moving toward the rise of Sauron and his new attempt at conquest that will eventually end with Elrond and Isildur at Mount Doomwhere Isildur will fail to cast away the One Ringand will bring the world into the Third Age where fans know all about the adventures of Frodo, Sam, Gandalf and the rest of the Fellowship as they struggle to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all.
The first season ofThe Rings of Poweris streaming on Amazon Prime.
More:How Rings of Power Overcame The Challenges Of Depicting Sauron In Physical Form
